Thursday, November 21, 2024

My Review for Christmas at Polkerran Point by Cass Grafton

November 21, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments



Christmas, Cornwall, Polkerran Point, a cute but grumpy man and lots of baked goodies - happiness in a book! I had an early November visit to Polkerran Point and was quickly reacquainted with all the characters I’ve grown to love, along with their quirks and oh-so-funny peculiarities. Gemma brings along her own little oddity - she talks to inanimate objects - but do they answer back?! Matt is an oddity in himself, grumpy, introspective and full of self-importance - at least to begin with, and Gemma is the one who needs to deal with him!

I loved the adapted Christmas song lyrics at the beginning of each chapter, each one written to tie in with the coming chapter. Such a clever idea, I enjoyed those a lot!

I can’t wait to read Cass’s next trip to Polkerran Point. I have a sneaky feeling that Dev might be our main character, but we will all need to wait and see!

Thank you to Cass Grafton and Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to read and review Christmas at Polkerran Point.


About the Book

Fate may have brought them together, but secrets seem destined to keep them apart... An accident and a lost passport mean Gemma's six-month sabbatical to go travelling is not off to a strong start. She heads to Polkerran Point to stay at her aunt’s while her new passport is processed and to find temporary work in the meantime.

Enter musician Matt. Newly moved into a secluded, renovated mill – complete with a recording studio – Matt is preparing for his band’s big reunion tour. Focused on writing new music for the album, he needs a live-in housekeeper.

Even as sparks fly, Gemma can sense Matt's keeping secrets and with her role ending once Christmas is over, will there be anything to keep her in Polkerran?


About Cass - by Cass

I began my writing life in Regency England, enlisted Jane Austen's help to timetravel between then and the present day and am now happily ensconced in 21st century Cornwall.

Well, in my imagination and soul; my heart and physical presence reside in northern England with my ever-patient husband and Tig and Tag, our cute but exceptionally demanding moggies.

A bit of a nomad, I’ve called three countries home, as well as six different English counties, but my aspiration is to one day reunite with my beloved West Country.

In the meantime, I write feel-good contemporary romances set in Cornwall and, in doing so, manage to live there vicariously through my characters and settings


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Friday, November 8, 2024

My Review for Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows, read by Samantha Brentmoor and Patrick Zeller

November 08, 2024  , , , , ,  No comments



Lena and Gavin....at the beginning I just wanted to bang their heads together - a typical case of miscommunication, or rather a lack of communication! For heaven’s sake, just talk to each other! 

Samantha Brentmoor and Patrick Zeller were great narrators as Lena and Gavin, both of them throwing themselves into the characters, especially during the spicy scenes - you have been warned! Of course, it was pretty obvious how the story was going to pan out, but the excitement and the build-up to Christmas and beyond was so much fun. I loved that Gavin was having to eat a gluten-free diet. This resonated slightly with me as my husband has recently been diagnosed with coeliac, so that’s the route we’re going down right now!

Lena’s family is just a cuteness overload. From the smallest baby to the eldest Grandma, I was invested in them all as soon as I plugged my AirPods in. The bonus episodes were awesome, I don’t know whether these are included in the physical book, but I loved hearing what happened a few months on,

Thank you to HarperAudio and Libro.fm for the opportunity to listen to and review Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows.

About the Book


A sweet and spicy holiday romance between a spirited artist who returns to her small town for Christmas and her older brother’s best friend, a serious architect who pushes all her buttons—but whom she can’t seem to stay away from. Now with exclusive bonus content!

Lena’s plans are simple. Surprise her family for Christmas, don’t tell them she lost her job, and most importantly, spend the week relaxing with the people she cares about.

But when she arrives in Juniper, she discovers she’s not the only unexpected guest this year. Her older brother’s best friend, Gavin, is back after disappearing three years ago without a word. He has the kind of charm Lena has always been drawn to. But she knows he’s also the kind of temptation she needs to stay far away from.

Gavin has built his architecture career out of planning strategies for dealing with the unexpected—but he didn’t have a strategy for the possibility of seeing Lena again. Though he’s been dreaming of her since the day he left, he can’t risk giving in to his feelings when they could upend the only family and home he has ever known.

New plan: try to be friends again. Just friends.

But as the pieces fall into place about why Gavin left, staying friends is the last thing on his mind…and on Lena’s. All the plans they’ve made might end up completely wrecked. And for once, maybe they want it that way.


About Jillian - by Jillian

I love to write romance that feels like a warm, cozy hug. That makes you smile and laugh and blush. That gives you that heart-bursting, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling that we’re all searching for in a love story.

​​If that’s your vibe, welcome! I’m so happy you’re here!!

​​I live thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere with my husband, four wild daughters, two unruly dogs, and my sparkling water addiction. When I’m not writing, you can find me devouring a romance novel, playing board games, or enjoying the outdoors with my family.



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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

My Review for Escape to Polkerran Point by Cass Grafton

November 05, 2024  , , , , , , ,  No comments



This week I took a second trip to Polkerran Point and this time I went along with Lauren for the ride. Pregnant, with no job and no home, Lauren seeks the comfort of her best friend Anna, who has already been living in Polkerran Point for a while and welcomes Lauren with open arms.

I loved Lauren; I loved how she really wasn’t sure about Polkerran Point, how she initially missed the hustle and bustle of city life and, most of all, I loved how the beauty of Cornwall grew on her until she almost didn’t want to leave.

Daniel and Lauren were cute, and much more suited to each other than with either of their exes, but boy their lack of communication was frustrating - for heaven’s sake, just tell each other how you feel!

Although this is the second book in the series, it can absolutely be read as a standalone, but don’t. Do yourself a favour and buy both books, or even treat yourselves and buy the third one too which has recently been released!

About the Book


Can fake dating turn into something more with a baby on the way? High-flying exec Lauren Kirkham is having a bad week. Unexpectedly pregnant, out of work and – when dumped by her boyfriend – with nowhere to live. She needs a respite, and so goes to visit her friend Anna in Polkerran for a short stay.

Polkerran’s local handyman Daniel Tremayne is busy building his own ‘grand design’ on one of the cove’s cliffs. When TV crews turn up to film, expecting a happily paired up couple, he urgently needs a fake live-in girlfriend, since he's also split with his ex.

Can Lauren and Daniel solve their mutual dilemmas by joining forces, and if so, will their hearts emerge unscathed?



About Cass - by Cass

I began my writing life in Regency England, enlisted Jane Austen's help to timetravel between then and the present day and am now happily ensconced in 21st century Cornwall.


Well, in my imagination and soul; my heart and physical presence reside in northern England with my ever-patient husband and Tig and Tag, our cute but exceptionally demanding moggies.


A bit of a nomad, I’ve called three countries home, as well as six different English counties, but my aspiration is to one day reunite with my beloved West Country.


In the meantime, I write feel-good contemporary romances set in Cornwall and, in doing so, manage to live there vicariously through my characters and settings





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Friday, November 1, 2024

My Review for Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke, read by Lucy Bromilow

November 01, 2024  , , , , , ,  No comments


A lovely listen from a first-time author to me with Karen Clarke’s Summer at the Little French Cafe. Elle Matheson is off to France to try to find her birth mother, but she doesn’t have a lot to go on. The book was full of humour, great characters, and intrigue! Elle immediately fit in with everyone and they all warm to her. Maybe this is the place she is destined to be! 

If you are a fan of a small-town romance with memorable characters, a cute cafe and some goats, then give this book a listen or a read. I didn’t realise until afterwards that this is part of a series, however; you don’t need to have read a previous book to enjoy this one. I will be going back and trying some more of Karen’s books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke.

About the Book

In the beautiful village of Chamillon lies the Café Belle Vie, where you’ll always find croissants and friends when you need them the most – and where Elle is hoping to uncover the truth about her past…

Thirty-year-old Elle Matheson has decided it’s finally time to find the mother who gave her up as a baby. With a faded postcard from the Café Belle Vie in hand – one of the very few things she has from her mother – she heads straight to the Île de Ré to begin her search. 

With only the postcard and the ivory shawl she was wrapped in as clues, finding her mum is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, even with the help of friendly – and gorgeous – café-owner Charlie. And since Elle hasn’t exactly told her younger sister what she’s up to, the little white lies about where she is are starting to add up… 

But Elle is really starting to feel at home on the beautiful island. The locals are welcoming, the café is homely, and Charlie is always there with a helping hand, a listening ear, and a pain au chocolat. 

Is Elle about to discover not just where she came from – but where she belongs?


About Karen - by Karen

I was born in North Yorkshire in the UK but have lived in Buckinghamshire with my

husband and three children for many years.

​I've loved writing since childhood and when I was eleven had a poem published in 'Judy' comic, which I dined out on for years before deciding I had better move on and write something else.

After joining an online writing group, I began submitting short stories to women's magazines and have sold over 300 in the UK and abroad. 

I never let go of my dream to write a novel, inspired by some of my early favourite romantic comedy authors (and the Adrian Mole series by Sue Townsend) and was thrilled to be approached by award-winning publisher Bookouture to write my Beachside series. Writing 3 novels in a year was a challenge but one I enjoyed rising to, following that series with three more books, set in fictional Seashell Cove, while my third series features The Little French Cafe located in the beautiful Ile de Re in France. 

​Three previous romcoms, with a paranormal twist, can be downloaded from Amazon and are also available as audiobooks. I love listening to books in the car and have been known to prolong a journey so I can listen for longer!

​A step to the dark side in 2019 saw me switch to writing psychological thrillers for HarperCollins/HQ Stories, which I love, and all four are available in digital, paperback and audio format, with a fifth being published in 2023.





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